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New research shows a quarter of all students who gamble may be experiencing harm

Published

3 years ago

February 27, 2023

Reading Time: 3 minutes

One in four students who gamble may be experiencing harm and one in two say that gambling has affected their university experience, new research has found.

The survey of 2,000 students across the UK revealed that 71% had gambled in the last 12 months. Amongst those students who had gambled in the previous year, 28% were found to be at ‘moderate risk’ and 24% had behaviour categorised as ‘problem gambling’.

The independent research carried out by Censuswide is a follow up to last year’s survey commissioned by education charity Ygam and GAMSTOP, the national online self-exclusion service.

This year the survey included the Short-form PGSI – a widely used measure of ‘problem gambling’ in the UK population – which enabled the researchers to understand the level of risk experienced by students in the sample.

Half of all respondents reported that gambling had impacted their university experience, with 13% having trouble paying for food, 10% missing lectures and tutorials, 10% saying gambling affected their assignments and grades, and 9% struggling to pay bills or for accommodation. Despite this, 45% of those who gamble were unaware of the support available to them from their universities.

Almost one in two students who gamble (48%) say they gamble to make money, but only 11% report winning money in an average week. One in three say they spend £11-£20 per week on gambling; nearly one in four (23%) spend £21-£50; and 13% spend £51-£100. 4.5%, say they gamble because they are unable to stop.

Along with savings and their own earnings, some students are borrowing money to fund their gambling, with 8% borrowing from family and friends and 6% using payday loans.

More than 40% of students have bought cryptocurrency in the last year, which is much higher than the figure for the overall population. This is perhaps not surprising given the age profile of the student population, but in a year when cryptocurrency prices plunged this may have impacted the overall financial wellbeing of this group.

The full report has been published today and includes the results of questions asked both to respondents who had gambled in the last 12 months as well as those who had not. The questions to the latter group were rephrased to further understand their view on gambling behaviour and attitudes amongst their friends.

The report makes three key recommendations:

Invest in universal prevention education in schools to help prepare young people to be resilient to the risks related to gambling before their transition to university.
Gambling harms to be considered as part of every university’s health and wellbeing strategy.
Further research to be conducted to better understand the experiences of students who gamble and how harms can be better prevented.

Dr Jane Rigbye, Chief Executive Officer at Ygam said:

“These findings give us insight into the attitudes and behaviours of students towards gambling. Building on the data published last year, we can now see that not only are a large percentage of the student population gambling on a regular basis, many of them are doing so in a way that may cause them to experience harm.

“The data further emphasises the importance of educating our young people on the risks associated with gambling. We’re working with our partners to tour university campuses across the UK to speak to students, deliver specialist training to university staff and to raise awareness. It is crucial that universities engage and take this issue seriously. We aim to work closely with many more universities to ensure they can help prevent the harms and support their students when they need it.”

Bray Ash, 29, who spent many years battling a gambling addiction as a student and is now studying to become a Mental Health nurse, said:

“For many, the research commissioned by GAMSTOP & Ygam will come as a surprise. However, for me it’s a reminder of the seriousness and proximity to gambling addiction that students face on a daily basis. During my time at university, I dealt with a severe gambling addiction that saw me confined to my room for days at a time. I spent my time in my room, alone and isolated, gambling day and night. I only left my room to buy food and on the odd occasion, I would see a friend.

“Propped up by the money from my student loan, I was able to fall into a gambling addiction that spiralled out of control until one day I managed to work up the courage to talk to my friends and family about it and get myself into rehab. At the time when I was first going through university, resources like GAMSTOP weren’t around. Now that they are and they are helping thousands of students, it’s always one of my first recommendations to anyone who feels that they might be experiencing gambling harms.”

3 Lucky Baozhu

TaDa Gaming Releases “3 Lucky Baozhu”

Published

45 minutes ago

November 3, 2025

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

TaDa Gaming, has added to its renowned TriLuck series with a classic Chinese themed slot game, 3 Lucky Baozhu. Offering multiple ways to win, 1000x max and 97% RTP, this gorgeously colourful game sparkles and crackles with fortune and good luck.

The five reels, three rows, 50 fixed paylines grid holds traditional symbols including Caishen god of wealth, lucky red envelopes, lanterns and musical instruments. Above the grid, the “3 pots” are the blue, green and purple baozhu – or firecrackers – consistently growing in size and ready to explode anytime.

A Mandarin text reading fu or “fortune” is the wild. Appearing only on reels two, three, four and five in the main game, it will substitute for all symbols except the firecracker feature symbols. Wins are formed by three of a kind. However, the generous Caishen will award a prize with just two matches on any payline he appears on.

The three firecracker symbols on the grid are also the scatters to trigger the bonus games. With each firecracker holding its own bonus, when three form a winning combination, one, two or even three bonus games can come into play simultaneously depending on the mix of firecracker colours.

Each bonus game begins with free spins. Purple and blue triggering firecrackers give three free spins, while green gives four. The purple firecracker or Double Up bonus puts two sets of reels into play. The blue or Ultra Spins bonus will boost coin symbol values, while green Extra adds an additional free spin, raising the count to four.

When players enter any bonus game, six kinds of Gold Coin symbols and blank positions only will appear. Each coin that lands will reset the free spin counter to three or four depending which firecracker triggered the bonus round.

The Gold Coins vary between plain gold to Mini, Minor, Major, Grand and Baozhu Grand jackpots. Jackpot values are dynamically based on the triggering wager and the deliberately wide range means 3 Lucky Baozhu will appeal to both casual players and high rollers.

Following on from earlier TriLuck releases 3 Coin Treasures, 3 Lucky Piggy and 3 Coin Wild Horse, the underlying “3 Pots” gives a Hold & Win style experience, while each slot’s unique theme and gameplay adds a new twist to the experience.

Sean Liu, Director of Product Management at TaDa Gaming, said: “The triple pots mechanic has global appeal for players. From LatAm to North America and across Europe, we have seen players’ positive reaction to the potential for all three features to trigger simultaneously. 3 Lucky Baozhu delivers this engaging gameplay in a sparkling fireworks’ themed slot to great effect.”

The post TaDa Gaming Releases “3 Lucky Baozhu” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Danish Gambling Authority

Peter & Sons Announces Partnership with Royal Casino

Published

45 minutes ago

November 3, 2025

Niji Narayan

peter-&-sons-announces-partnership-with-royal-casino

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Peter & Sons has announced a new partnership with Royal Casino, one of Denmark’s most established and trusted online casino brands. This collaboration marks a significant step in Peter & Sons’ continued growth across regulated European markets and reinforces its commitment to bringing creative, story-rich gaming experiences to players worldwide.

Royal Casino brings more than three decades of experience in the Danish gambling industry. Licensed and regulated by the Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden), the operator stands for quality, transparency and a player-first approach. Its strong reputation and commitment to safe, responsible entertainment make it the perfect partner for Peter & Sons’ expansion into Denmark.

Through this partnership, Danish players will gain access to Peter & Sons’ growing portfolio of slots, featuring the studio’s signature combination of handcrafted illustration, cinematic sound design, and gameplay that pushes the boundaries of creativity. The collaboration not only expands Peter & Sons’ European footprint but also supports RoyalCasino.dk’s goal of continuously enriching its portfolio with top-tier, innovative content from world-class developers.

Denmark represents one of the most mature and well-regulated iGaming markets in Europe, offering both opportunity and challenge for premium studios. For Peter & Sons, this expansion is a strategic move — a chance to engage with an audience that appreciates craftsmanship, fair play and originality.

With this launch, Peter & Sons continues to build momentum in Europe following recent certifications and market entries in regions such as the UK, Italy and the Netherlands. As the studio’s global presence grows, one thing remains unchanged: its dedication to redefining what online casino gaming can be — fun, fair and full of imagination.

The post Peter & Sons Announces Partnership with Royal Casino appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Baltics

DATA.BET Now Powers Esports for Entain NCE Across Baltics & Nordics

Published

45 minutes ago

November 3, 2025

Niji Narayan

data.bet-now-powers-esports-for-entain-nce-across-baltics-&-nordics

Reading Time: 2 minutes

DATA.BET, a leading sportsbook solution supplier, has signed a content deal with Entain NCE, to strengthen the esports betting offer of their brands (Optibet and Klondaika) across the Baltics and Nordics – with Estonia as a key rollout market.

Through the collaboration, Entain and its portfolio of brands will receive DATA.BET’s premium esports coverage. The package includes a comprehensive Odds Feed, Risk Management, Bet Builder and a suite of engagement Widgets – Pitch Tracker (interactive 2D map), Scoreboards (visual representation of player statistics), live Video Streaming, Statistical Widgets (team history and game stats) and a Multi Widget that unites all these tools within one screen. The partnership is designed to help Entain brands and their clients increase profitability in esports by combining precise pricing and risk controls with engagement tools that lift turnover and margin.

With the deal, Entain’s customers get access to DATA.BET’s 30+ disciplines and over 10,000 monthly events, delivered with a down-to-the-second bet delay across leading titles such as Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Valorant, League of Legends and others. A phased expansion of additional disciplines and features will follow to meet Entain’s demand.

“This partnership sets a high bar for product excellence. Our role is to power that ambition with an esports layer that’s rich in content and strong on risk, enabling consistent margins and a best-in-class customer experience. We’ve aligned on a clear roadmap to scale, with more Entain brands scheduled to join the rollout next,” said Otto Bonning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET.

“We are thrilled to partner with DATA.BET who are renown for being the leading Esports provider and who share the same passion and commitment for Esports as we do. DATA.BET’s deep understanding of the esports ecosystem and its growing influence among modern audiences makes the collaboration a perfect fit. Together, we aim to elevate esports and deliver the best experience and entertainment to the fans across Baltics and Nordics regions,” said Hendrik Ahuna, Director of Sportsbook at Entain NCE.

The post DATA.BET Now Powers Esports for Entain NCE Across Baltics & Nordics appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.